(John David Mercer/Press-Register)New Toyotas are seen lined up at Eastern Shore Toyota in Baldwin County, Ala., in this file photo. Four governors of states with Toyota plants called Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010, for Congress to be fair to the automaker in hearings concerning safety recalls. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley asked in a letter Wednesday that Toyota get "a responsible and fair response from the federal government."FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Four
governors of states with Toyota plants called Wednesday for Congress to
be fair to the automaker in hearings concerning safety recalls.

"Toyota must put the safety of drivers first and
foremost," Beshear said in a statement. "However, they deserve a level
and reasonable response from the federal government -- one that is not
tainted by the federal government's financial interest in some of
Toyota's competitors."

The governor was referring to money the federal government invested in Chrysler and General Motors last year.

Toyota
has recalled nearly 8.5 million vehicles around the globe since
November for problems that include floor mats that can entangle the gas
pedal, gas pedals that can stick, causing sudden acceleration, and
braking problems. The recalls have drawn interest in Congress, where
lawmakers are looking into how the company handled the recalls and
whether the government properly investigated numerous complaints.

Critics
have accused Toyota, the world's No. 1 automaker, of moving too slowly
to address safety concerns and fix the millions of vehicles involved in
the massive recalls. The company is engaging in a fierce lobbying
campaign to salvage its reputation and has hired additional lobbyists,
lawyers and public relations experts in advance of congressional
hearings later this month.

The letter did not include signatures
from the governor of California, which is home to Toyota's North
American headquarters, or the governors of West Virginia and Texas,
where the company has manufacturing plants.

Beshear spokeswoman
Kerri Richardson said the idea for the letter originated in Kentucky.
She said Beshear simply wanted to affirm Toyota as a good corporate
citizen.

"No one asked us to do it," Richardson said.

West
Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin is writing his own letter to Congress,
spokesman Matt Turner said. Manchin shares the concerns expressed by
the other governors, Turner said, and also wants to provide more
information about the automaker's role as employer and corporate
neighbor in West Virginia.

Richardson said the Texas governor
indicated that he would write his own letter and that the California
governor wasn't asked to participate.

Toyota is planning to halt
production at the Fremont, Calif.-based New United Motor Manufacturing
Inc. plant. The plant, established in 1984 in a joint venture with
General Motors, employs 4,600 workers and makes the Pontiac Vibe
station wagon for GM, and the Corolla compact car and Tacoma pickup
truck for Toyota.

Toyota is scheduled to close the plant in March
despite efforts by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, members of congress and
state officials to keep the plant open. The governor at one point
offered tax breaks and other incentives to try to save the plant.

Schwarzenegger's
spokesman, Aaron McLear, said the governor was not asked to write a
letter supporting Toyota, nor did he send one.

Those who signed did so based on their experiences with the company, said Barbour spokeswoman Laura Hipp.

"In
Mississippi, Toyota is a valuable partner in building a highly skilled,
high-tech workforce," she said. "Governor Barbour wanted to convey his
confidence in the auto maker and in Toyota's beginning operations in
Mississippi when market conditions improve."

The House Oversight
Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee are planning
hearings, as is the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Committee.

In the letter, the governors said that Toyota employs
more than 172,000 Americans in plants and dealerships across the nation
and said the company's continued success is in the national interest.

"Besides
the obvious good-paying jobs provided in our states, Toyota
demonstrates a commendable positive spirit not only with its own
employees, but also in the communities and neighborhoods within which
its plants operate," the governors said.

They also criticized
what they called "aggressive and questionable" news coverage "when the
real story is how quickly Toyota identified the problems, found
solutions and delivered those solutions to its dealers worldwide."